Rail-joint



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

. M. W. WAMBAUG-H.

RAIL JOINT.

No. 570,618. Patented Nov. 3, 1896.

1902,9101, mamonwfmmbaugk '1': Megan: mans no" womlma. WASHINGTON. 01c.

I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. W. WAMBAUGH. RAIL JOINT.

No. 570,618. Patented Nov. 3, 1896.

li'llllllillm 'l 45 il III I Q Q v l lg zgfory' UNITED STATES;

MAI-ILON w. WAMBAUG-H, or eALi- Es-roiv, TEXAS RAIL-J 01 NT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.-570,618, dated November 3, 1896-.

Serial No. 595,452. (NomodeL) To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAHLON XV. AM- BAUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail-joints.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail-joints and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device capable of afforcl-in-ga firm and secure support for the abutting ends of rails to maintain theirtreads in the same horizontal plane and prevent them frombeingmashed down at the ends,wherebythe-life of a railis materially increased and the jars and jolts incident to the passage of the wheels of atra in over rough rail-joints are prevented, thereby contributing to the comfort of the travel.

Another object of the invention is to increase the firmness, durability, and eificiency of a railroad-track, and to prevent the fishplates from being strained by the passage of a train, in a manner similar to the ordinary unsupported fish-plates.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2- is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stationary lower portion or base of the adjustable support. Fig. 4 is a reverse plan view of the same. Fig.5 is a perspective view of the movable upper portion of the adjustable support,-the upper portion being inverted to show the heli'cally' inclined serrated faces. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the inclined slots of the lugs of the fishplates. I

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. v

1 1 designate a pair of rail-s connected together by transverse bolts 2 and angle fishplates 3, which are located at opposite sides of the railsand which conform to the configuration of the webs and bottom flanges thereof. The fish-plates are provided at their outer faces, adjacent to their ends, with substantially triangular lugs 4, which have inclined slots 5 for the reception of the ends of depending truss-rods 6.

The slots-5 are oppositely inclined,converging downward, and they are also transversely inclined, extending downward from their mouths, and the ends of the tru'ss-rods,which are arranged in the slots, are provided with heads 7 engaging the outer side faces of the lugs and forming stops. The truss-rods, which are arranged in pairs at oppesite sides of the rails, are curved and extend beneath and connect the rails, and theyhave mounted .on them an adjustable supporting-block 8,

forming a strut and located directly beneath the ends of the rails. Instead of forming the heads 7 of the truss-rods 6 integral with the latter, the terminals of the truss-rods may be threaded, and nuts may be employed to serve as heads, and may be arranged on the outer inclined faces of the triangular projections & similar to the heads 7.

The adjustable supporting-block comprises a stationary lower portion or base 9 and a rotaryupperportion 10. The lower portion or base is curved at its lower face and provided with grooves 11, arranged adjacent to its'side faces and receiving the lower curved portions of the truss-rods, and the movable upper portion 10 is provided witha flat upper face for the'reception of the rails. The upper and lower portions 9 and 1.0 of the adj ustable=block or strut are provided at their contiguous faces with oppositely-disposed substantially semicircular flanges 12' and 13, tapering throughout their lengths and presen ting contiguous helically-inclined faces 1i and 15,- which are serrated andadapted to engage each other, whereby the upper and lower sections-of-the-block 8 are retained at any desired adjustment. The flanges 12 and 13 of the upper and lower portions or sections are arranged in the forniof a circle, which extends half-way around the block, the reduced portion of one flange being arranged adjacentto the enlarged portion of the other flange of the same portion or section.

The upper portion or section 10 is circular and fits within a circular flange or rim 16 of the lower section or base 9, and when the upper section is in its lowermost position the vertical shoulders 17 of the enlarged ends of the flanges 12 abut against the shoulders 18 of the flanges 13, and by rotating the upper sections 10 its curved flanges are adapted to ride up the helically-inclined surfaces of the lower section or base to increase the height of the strut and to draw the parts of the railjoint to any desired tension. The upper portion or section 10 is provided with horizontal sockets or holes 19 for'the reception of a suitable bar or lever for rotating it.

The fish-plates bear against the heads of the rails adjacent to their ends, and are beveled at their terminals at 20 to prevent the end portions of the fish-plates becoming fulcrumed against the heads of the rails when the parts thereof are subjected to the weight of a train, whereby the fish-plates are relieved of much strain and are prevented from being twisted or broken like the ordinary fishplates, which bear against the edge of the rails throughout their entire length.

It will be seen that the rail-joint is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily applied to any rail, and that it forms a firm and secure support for the ends of rails and will increase the strength and durability of the track. It will also be apparent that it is adapted to maintain the treads of the rails in the same horizontal plane and prevent them from being mashed down by car-wheels, and that it will prevent the jars and jolts incident to a train passing over rough rail-joints. Furthermore, it will be apparent that the tension' of the truss-rods may be readily increased from time to time, that no threads are employed in regulating the tension of the trussrods, and that the serrations of the helicallyinclined faces of' the upper and lower portions or sections of the adjustable block are adapted to interlock and securely hold the parts at any desired adjustment and prevent them from accidentally slipping when subjected to a heavy strain.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a rail-joint, the combination with a pair of rails, of fish-plates connecting the rails and provided with lugs having downwardlyconverging slots, curved truss-bars depending below the rails, located at opposite sides thereof and provided at their terminals with heads, the ends of the trussrods being arranged in said slots and the heads engaging the lugs, and an adjustable supporting-block or strut interposed between the rails and the truss-rods and provided at its lower facewith grooves for the reception of the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with rails, of fish-plates secured to the rails and provided at their outer faces, adjacent to theirvided at its bottom with grooves receiving the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with rails and fish-plates, of depending truss-rods connected at their ends with the rails, and an adjustable supporting-block interposed between the truss-rods and the rail and comprising upper and lower portions having curved tapering flanges forming helically-inclined surfaces, one of the portions of the block being movable to cause the inclined surfaces to ride on each other, substantially as and for the purpose described. 7

4. In a rail-joint, the combination with rails and fish-plates, of depending truss-rods connected at their ends with the rails and an adjustable supporting-block interposed between the rails and the truss-rods and composed of a stationary lower section or base provided with curved tapering flanges forming helically-inclined surfaces, the latter being serrated, and an upper rotary section provided with depending tapering curved flanges forming helically-inclined surfaces serrated similar to saidflanges and engaging the inclined faces thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described. j

5. In a rail-joint, the combination with rails, of fish-plates secured to the rails and provided with slotted lugs, depending trussrods arranged at opposite sides of the rails and having their ends interlocked with the slotted lugs, and an adjustable supportingblock comprising a stationary lower section or base mounted on the truss-rods, provided with a circular rim and having opposite semicircular tapering flanges provided with upper helically-inclined serrated faces, and a circular rotary upper portion fitting within the rim of the lower section or base and provided with depending tapering curved flanges having helically-inclined serrated surfaces engaging those of the stationary section or base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HAHLON W. WAMBAUGH.

YVitnesses:

H. ELDRIDGE, D. J. CLARK. 

